I do so hope my readers have not gotten to the last chapter I've posted yet. I'm revising them as I go.

Chapter 3

The Lonely Hearts Club Band

Axel

When I woke up, I laid on the couch for a while, still in my greasy apron from work, my pants slightly crusty from old stains. I stared at the ceiling, replaying everything from the previous day once more. Slowly, I reached in the front pocket of my apron and pulled out my pack of smokes, tapped one out, and lit it, watching the smoke drift up to the ceiling. At the end of my mental slow motion replay, I smiled devilishly to myself, and got up to start the day. 'He likes my cooking.' I thought to myself as I made my way down the hallway.

I crept into the bedroom as silently as I could and smiled wider as I saw the angelic demon curled tightly in a ball in the middle of my bed. I stood in the doorway a moment, watching the covers rise and fall, wondering what he was dreaming about.

'He looks so much cuter when he's sleeping. Wait, cuter?' I mentally slapped myself, still not fully coming to terms with my feelings. I scowled as I quietly rounded up a decently clean pair of pants and a shirt, and shuffled into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, I cringed slightly. I looked a sight, my face covered in a few black smears, my hair a shambles under the hair net I hadn't removed yet, my ponytail sticking out at odd angles. I sighed, set my half-smoked cigarette on the sink, and pulled off my clothes, now feeling the creaking in my joints. I cranked on the shower full blast and stood under the hot water, just letting everything melt out of me from the previous day. There really is something soothing about a hot shower. Slowly, I smiled and began to scrub myself. Somehow, I knew then that everything was going to be okay.

After my shower, I quickly threw on my clothes and fluffed my hair with a clean towel, throwing my dirty work clothes in my hamper by pinching them with my toes. Not thinking anything of it, I stepped out into the bedroom and grimaced. 'Damn. Now, he'll think I'm a...' I growled in frustration at myself. 'Gah! Why do I care WHAT he thinks!' And I quickly exited the room. I felt like I had hit a brick wall when I slammed the door. My heart almost jumped into my throat as I heard a low moan from the other side. Grimacing again, I slowly opened the door as Roxas sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What's with all the noise?" He asked sleepily, stretching and yawning.

"Hehe." I rubbed the back of my neck feeling embarrassed. "Sorry. I... just... got in a rush is all." 'WHY are you acting like this!' My head screamed at me, but I paid no heed. Sometimes, you really can't listen to it.

"Oh." Was all he said, and then he curled tightly back up into a ball, falling strait to sleep. I let out a sigh of relief and waited a moment to be sure he was really asleep before walking over to the edge of the bed. I smiled softly as I put a hand to his forehead and didn't feel a fever. I donned my favorite trench coat, pulling it tight around my body, and exited the apartment, locking the door behind me. All the way down the road, I scowled at the slush covered pavement, kicking a few balls of the nasty snow left overs out of my way. I stopped in my tracks a moment when I came upon the spot where I had found Roxas I felt a smile curl the edge of my lip. 'This might be exciting.' Now my mind was catching up to my emotions.

When I got to the bar, Demyx smiled, waving at me as I entered. I didn't really acknowledge him, simply walking over to the table he was sitting at and sat, smiling stupidly at him. He looked confused for a second, but shrugged it off and winked at me. On the stage, a random couple of dj's messed with lord knows what equipment, but they sounded good. I couldn't get past their funky robot masks though. Demyx watched nodding his head to the beat before turning to me.

"They're pretty good, huh?" I noticed he was dressed rather nicely for just band practice, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, they're alright. I don't think they'll make it big though." I looked Demyx up and down smiling a little. "You going out on a date tonight or something?" Demyx beamed a little as he stood, grabbing the case that held his precious Sitar.

"Nope. Guess what?" I felt my face grow stern, and my eyebrow twitched at him, all trace of the morning gone, my mental faculties telling me that I was in for a surprise. I hate surprises.

"Okay, fine." He huffed. "You're no fun."

"Will you just..." I jumped to my feet, but before I could beat Demyx senseless, Cid walked over to the table, chewing on a toothpick as usual.

"Axel!" He beamed at me, and patted me on the back. My knees almost buckled from the force. Cid is one big dude, round about the size of a linebacker.

"What happened las' night? Heard ya flew off without even cleanin' yer grill. 'S not like you." I rubbed my neck and laughed nervously.

"Heh. Yeah, about that." I looked at the floor. "Kinda... well, you know." Cid let out one of his famous full gut laughs and put a hand on my shoulder.

"S alright. Demyx here told me ev'rthin'." I scowled again and searched for Demyx, but he had already made his way to the stage. 'I swear, I'm gonna...'

"Don'cha worry about it, Axel." Cid beamed at me again. "Ev'ryone's allowed to have an off day." He winked at me, and strolled off to do... whatever it was Cid did during the day. I swear the man never sleeps. I clenched my fists and walked briskly over to Demyx.

"What the HELL did you tell Cid!" I yelled over the techno noise. Demyx hid behind his Sitar case.

"Please, don't kill me, Axe. We go on tonight, and what would the band be without me!" He slumped a little further down behind his case. I, on the other hand, was caught completely off guard. I stared blankly at him.

"Wait... what?" I scratched my head a little. We had been practicing in the bar for more than a month now, finally having a drummer and a bass player. Cid had let us use the stage when he didn't have any live bands playing in the afternoon, and we had taken it as a grace period. Cid letting us play live was almost out of the question. "We aren't even good enough to play live yet." My nerves started acting up as Demyx slowly slid out from behind his case, nodding violently.

"Yes we are!" He smiled his dumb ass smile again as the techno music slowly faded. "And we're playing tonight! Isn't it great?"

"NO!" I shouted, and the two dj's on stage stared at me. "We don't even have a name yet!" I threw my arms in the air and walked away from Demyx, rubbing my temples as I felt another headache coming on. I found a chair at the nearest table, practicing my breathing mantra. And, of course, as usual, Riku picked the time that I was more stressed than usual to walk through the door, drum sticks in hand.

"Hey, guys!" He waved from the doorway and made his winding way through the tables to where Demyx and I were. He slapped five with Demyx, then looked down at me and scrunched his face. "I take it you told him?" If I had had anything within grabbing distance, I would have thrown it at Rikus' head.

"Yes, he TOLD me!" I slammed my hands on the table and jumped to my feet. "What the hell makes you think we're ready for this!" Riku simply laughed, and the urge to deck him ran through me, but only half-heartedly.

"Relax, Axe." I hate smart ass word play, and Riku is known for it. Sometimes, I wonder why I even hang out with him. "We've practiced, what, five songs?" I nodded, not sure where he was going with this, tapping my finger in agitation. "Okay, that's enough for a set. We come on stage, everyone hears what we sound like, big applause, and then we spend the rest of the night drinking with our new friends." He smiled, and damn it, somehow I believed his banter.

"Alright." I sighed, trying to figure out how he continually talked me into things like this. "Let's at least practice a little first." I looked up at the stage, wondering how the night would go, but also where the hell the two robo-dj's went.

Riku

The night was a huge success. Axel, after a few beers and a little primping from yours truly, finally relaxed enough and sang his little lungs out. We laughed, we had a few jokes with a few members of the audience, and then the show was over and the drinking began. Axel all but ran off the stage to the bar and ordered Jaeger bombs for the entire band. As I got out from behind my drum set, I noticed that Demyx was a pasty pale white. I walked over to him as he was gingerly casing his Sitar again.

"Dude, you look like you've just seen a ghost." Demyx nearly jumped out of his skin as I started talking, and I laughed a little. "You okay, man?"

"No!" His eyes went as round as silver dollars, and he quickly shuffled me off the stage out of view. "I've got a stalker!" He gripped my shoulders as if he were going to pass out on the spot.

"Dude," I laughed, shaking my head. "It's all in your head, man. You're paranoid."

"NO! Seriously, Ri!" He pulled me around the stage and pointed to a gray haired emo looking kid in the corner of the room. "Right there. He's been at the restaurant for three days, and now he's HERE! Riku, what do I do!" He shook me violently, and I thought my head was going to come off. "Tell me, man! You're the most clear-headed one here!" After he stopped shaking me, and the dizziness went away, I smiled at him.

"Go ask for a date?" I chuckled a little as he went pale as a sheet again.

"I can't do THAT!" He shook me again as Axel all but stumbled around the corner to us, carrying three empty glasses.

"What the hell are you two hiccup yelling about now?" He smiled drunkly.

"Light weight." I pointed a thumb at Axel. Demyx grinned a little, but it was slowly replaced by panic again.

"What do I..."

"Get AHOLD of yourself, man!" I slapped him hard across the face, and grabbed his shoulders so he wouldn't fall over. I smiled a little. 'I've always wanted to do that.' Demyx remained calm while I spoke. "Okay, if you're so SURE he's stalking you, go confront him. He's probably just new in town and he likes Cid's place is all."

"Yeah, if I..." He looked around the corner of the stage, and I saw his face wilt like a flower in the sun. "He left." Demyx almost pouted. Axel laughed a little and slung an arm around each of our shoulders.

"Okay, what did I miss?"

We sat at the bar most of the night, conversing and cutting up with Cid, the staff, the customers and each other, taking shots and drinking most of the bars stock. I should know. About 1 in the morning, people started filing out and eventually, the only ones left in the bar were myself, Axel, Demyx and, thankfully, Cid, who had graciously assumed the job of bartender for the night. He smiled, looking at the three of us.

"Y'know, y'all 're tha best thing that ever happ'ned to this place. Dunno what I'd do withoutcha." I laughed, feeling slightly buzzed.

"Nah, you hadda good thing going before we ever showed, Cid." Said giant clapped me on the shoulder, and I would have fallen over if I had not been perched on the barstool beneath me.

"Yer good guys." He rounded on the other two. "Now, you two needa get someone good in yer lives." He winked at me, having know about Sora since I had started here two years ago. He had showed up to bring me lunch and Cid had walked around the corner just as Sora was kissing me goodbye. I couldn't look him in the eye for a week. Eventually, Cid sat me down and explained that he didn't care who his employees dated and was not about to fire me for it. But, enough about me.

"I hiccup think I maya hiccup found somun." I laughed a little as Axel spoke on the other side of Demyx.

"In English, please." I teased.

"I said hiccup I MAY HAVE hiccup FOUND ONE!" Adam yelled, smiling at me. "English enough fer ya?" We all laughed at his drunken impression of Cid.

"You'd better watch it, now." Cid mock-threatened. "I DO hold yer job in my hands." He crossed his arms, and I smiled at the smug look on his face. "Now, who'sis 'one' yer talkin' 'bout?"

"Lil blonde one named Roxas." Axel muttered, and I froze like a deer caught in the headlights, my buzz gone. 'It couldn't be...'

"That doesn't sound like a girls name!" Demyx laughed and was about to down his drink when Axel remained silent. He set his glass back on the counter slowly.

"Wait..." Cid and I smiled as Demyx tried to piece everything together. "OH MY GOD!" Demyx looked horror-struck and mischievous at the same time.

"So, Axel. What does this Roxas look like?" I pried for reasons of my own, smiling mischievously to myself.

"Short." Axel snorted, then stared absently at the bar. "Sky blue eyes. hiccup Spiky blonde hiccup hair. God!" He grabbed his head and flopped on the counter, hiding his face under his arms. "Why am I hiccup thinking these things!"

Demyx continued to stare blankly at the wall behind the bar. "It all makes sense now..."

I took this as my cue to leave. I had all the information I needed. I stood, and slid my glass away from me. As I turned to leave, I noticed Cid looking at me curiously.

"You done fer th' night, Ri?" I heard the playful tone in his voice, but the only thing I could think of was Sora.

"Yeah, I'm... gonna call it a night." I started to walk towards the door, but remembered Cid took my keys. "Hey, do you mind if I get a ride, Cid?" He chuckled, and walked out from behind the bar.

"I'll get my coat."

When I got home, I quietly opened the door to my small apartment to find Sora asleep on the couch under his favorite anime blanket, some random infomercial playing noisily on the television.

'Awe. He tried to stay up for me again.' I smiled down at my sleeping, innocent beauty. I couldn't wake him like that. Quietly as I could, I made my way to the bathroom to change into my sleeping shorts, but by the time I had returned to the living room, Sora's eyes were wide awake and following my movements. He shifted a little and the face of Ryuk the Shinigami wrinkled a little. I smiled nervously down at my love.

"Did I wake you? I didn't mean to." Sora just smiled lazily up at me.

"What kept you?" At this I had to grin.

"I've got some wonderful news." Sora yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head. I giggled a little. He hadn't changed since the day I had met him. And for that, I was thankful.

"It can wait til morning." He rose, letting his blanket slide onto the couch and walked over to me, wrapping his arms gingerly around my waist. "Let's go to bed for now."

"Hmmm..." I played like I was thinking about it, scratching my chin a little. "Perhaps you're onto something." Sora giggled a little, his spikes shaking a little, and he grabbed my hand and led me into the bedroom. He didn't even know yet that I could have found his brother.